One Eyed Jack Version 20
by Ranguvar27
Summary: This is the better version of my Knave story. Stayne recalls the events that led him to work for Iracebeth. Why did he do it? What made him remain loyal? Read on and find out. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1 How It Began

_Disclaimer-All characters belong to Lewis Carroll. I am just borrowing.

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Stayne sighed in exasperation as Tarrant and Thackery began to sing again. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and spoke in a deadly calm voice.

"For the last time, you pieces of shukm,**tell me where the girl is**.

Tarrant looked oddly at him. "Girl? What girl?"

"The girl that came here with Chessur. My soldiers saw her. So **stop lying to me!!"**

Tarrant and Thackery looked at each other, than began singing even louder. Stayne growled in frustration, and sweeping pots aside, grabbed Tarrant by his collar.

"Where. is. The. Girl?" he whispered.

Tarrant stared angrily into his eyes. "I would sooner die than tell you, traitor!"

Stayne smiled wickedly. "You may just get your wish." He gestured to the guards with him, and they grabbed Tarrant. "Off to the dungeons you go, Hatter. Any witty remarks to make?" Stayne asked nastily.

Tarrant smiled grimly. "Downal with bluddy behg hid." Stayne dealt him a violent blow, and Tarrant slumped in the guards' grip. "Get him back to the dungeons! I want to question him."

Stayne sighed. Tarrant was right. He was a traitor, and he knew it. But Stayne also knew that he had no choice. He had to work for Iracebeth, or he would die. It was as simple as that. Stayne thought back to when he was forced to make the worst decision of his cursed life.

_It all began at the Trial. That was the day that Stayne's life changed forever. There was never any doubt of the outcome. In Underland you were sentenced before you were convicted. That Stayne was innocent of the charges was of no consequence. The fabricated evidence against him was overwhelming. Alice had tried to help him by challenging the White Rabbit's evidence, but even that was no good. Stayne had been hauled off to the dungeons, and Alice had been forced to return home. But before she left, she requested to see Stayne. _

_Alice was accompanied by a Guard as she walked down the long winding stairs to the Dungeon, shivering as she came into contact with the damp cold walls. She had to see the Knave, to apologize for the horrible injustice that had been committed against him. When she reached the end of the steps, she strained to see into the inky blackness of the dungeon. _

_"Knave? Are you there? It's Alice." Stayne had been sitting cross legged on the floor of his cell, cursing Fate, Time, and every other entity he could think of. At the sound of Alice's voice he looked up._

_"I'm here." Alice walked to his cell. "Knave, I just came to say how sorry I am for what has happened to you." Stayne chuckled grimly. _

_"Thanks. And my name isn't Knave. It's Ilosivic. Ilosivic Stayne." _

_"I'm sorry, Ilosivic." Stayne smiled. "Thank you, Alice." _

_Alice smiled at him. "You're welcome." Then the Guard had steered her away, and Stayne sighed. _

_ 'At least somebody gives a damn about me'. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. He looked up, hoping to see Alice. A shiver of revulsion passed through him at the sight of Iracebeth. _

_ "Your Majesty. What a surprise to see you here." He spoke as evenly as he could, hoping his voice did not betray his hatred of the tyrannical monarch. _

_ Iracebeth smiled hungrily at him. "Hello Ilosivic. I have a proposition for you. How would you like to be free of the dungeons? All you have to do is agree to be my Right Hand man." _

_Stayne looked at her. "And what_ _would that entail, exactly?" _

_"Whatever I decide. You have 24 hours to give me your decision. After that, you will be executed. I hope you make the right one, Stayne."_


	2. Chapter 2 Conditions

Disclaimer- Not mine, they belong to Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton.

_Stayne couldn't believe what he had just heard. _

_"What?" he asked, a shocked tone in his voice. _

_"You heard me. Either you agree to my terms, or you die before sunset tomorrow. It is as simple as that," replied Iracebeth. She leaned forward and peered hungrily at him. "And it would be a great shame to have to chop off such a lovely head. Especially from that rather tall body." _

_ Stayne sighed. He had always known about the Queen's predilection for abnormally sized people, and at seven feet tall, Stayne stood out in a crowd. It was no surprise then that Iracebeth had noticed. Noticed, and lusted. Now she stood before the man she had become infatuated with. She failed to notice the glares of hatred she was receiving. She smiled, and gestured for Stayne to stand up. He did, and her eyes roved hungrily over him. She gave a small sigh of pleasure as she took in his tall, muscular form. As she gazed upon his face, she wondered what had caused him to lose his eye. The injury had healed, but it had left a long jagged scar in its' wake. _

_ She spoke to him in a soft, seductive tone. "You and I could be quite the pair, my Knave of Hearts". _

_Stayne nodded dully. "Whatever you say, Majesty. I am your loyal subject". Iracebeth smiled. _

_ "So have you made your decision?" Stayne's eye widened in surprise. "Umm…give me one night to consider. I'll tell you my decision in the morning." _

_ Iracebeth nodded, and turned to walk back up the stairs. Halfway there, she turned and gazed at him. "Remember-it's a choice between life or death. Choose wisely." Having delivered her ultimatum, she swept out of the dungeons. _

_ Stayne stared at the wall, his mind racing. He abhorred the Queen, and everything she stood for .The idea of being near her filled him with anger and revulsion. But the alternative didn't offer any help either. 'No matter what I decide, I lose out. If I decide to work for her, I effectively lose my freedom. If I refuse, I lose my life,' he thought bitterly. 'I'm stuck'. _

Stayne laughed hollowly as he remembered that night. He had agonized over his decision for what seemed like hours, and finally had come to realize that as much as he hated the Queen, he valued his life more. The next day, Iracebeth had come down to the dungeons..

"_Have you decided yet?" Stayne had nodded. "Yes, Majesty. I will work for you." He tried not to show how much this decision pained him. _

_The Queen had smiled triumphantly. "I knew you would make the right decision. Now, I do have to warn you of one thing. Should you ever decide to betray me or should I suspect you of betrayal, your execution will be carried out without hesitation. Understand?" Stayne gulped. "Yes. I understand." _


	3. Chapter 3 Confrontation

_Note-I realize I go off the script a bit here. Call it creative license. Also, I don't like writing torture scenes; so much of it will be implied. Use your imagination._

Chapter 3 Confrontation

Stayne sat in his room mulling over the events of the day when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in", he called. The door opened, and one of the Card Guards came in. Stayne gestured to him, and the Guard stepped in front of him and saluted. "Make your report, Seven."

Seven nodded, than spoke. "The prisoner is still refusing to speak. We've told him that if he tells us where the girl is hiding, he can go free. But he just keeps asking stupid riddles. In my opinion, the man is completely mad."

Stayne sighed tiredly. "Tarrant has never been right in the head. But I have the feeling he's playing you for a fool. I had better go down to the dungeons and see if I can persuade him to quit with the charade."

Seven saluted. "Yes Sir. Should I accompany you?"

Stayne shook his head. "I'd prefer to do this alone." He quickly made his way down to the dungeons, determined to get Tarrant to speak, and he was willing to use any means necessary to get the deed accomplished.

Tarrant had been chained to the wall. His head was hanging down, and his feet just barely reached the floor. His arms were pulled far out, and every few minutes he whimpered quietly with the pain. He had lost track of how long he had been there. He knew in the back of his mind that it had only been a few hours, but it felt like days. He looked up as he heard the loud clang of the dungeon's main door. 'No doubt that Guard's returned to make me another offer', he thought. Looking up, he grinned crazily at the sight before him.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Red Queen's faithful little lap dog. I wish I could say what a pleasure it is to see you."

Stayne glared at him. "Save the speech, Tarrant. I'm not in the mood. You aren't helping yourself, and I will find out what I need to know. So why not make it easy on yourself and talk?"

Tarrant giggled crazily. "You want me to talk? OK. Why is a raven like a writing desk? Is 'I eat what I see' the same as 'I see what I eat?' Your hair wants cutting. I apologize; I hadn't quite finished my tea when I was sent for. If you don't think, you shouldn't talk."

As Tarrant rambled on, Stayne struggled to control his temper. "Tarrant? Tarrant... TARRANT!! SHUT UP!!"

Tarrant immediately stopped babbling, and grinned triumphantly. "Did I get under your skin, Stayne? You should know by now that I am gallymoggers."

Stayne glared murderously at him. "I guess simply asking you won't do any good. No matter, I have other ways of getting the information I need."

He reached into his pocket, and pulling out a set of keys unlocked Tarrant's cell and walked towards him.

Tarrant watched him cautiously. "I don't suppose we can be reasonable about this?" Stayne shook his head. "The time for reasoning is past. Time for a more…direct method." He punched Tarrant in the stomach, and he doubled over in pain.

"You know, it's your kind and gentle nature that makes you so admired, Stayne. The fact that you never get angry is quite remarkable."

Stayne growled angrily. "Tell me where the girl is, and you can go free."

Tarrant laughed quietly. "Second verse, same as the first. I'll tell you what I told the Guard. If you think I am going to tell a **slurking urpal slackush scrum **like you anything, you're even more gallymoggers than I am".

Stayne nodded. "So be it. Remember Tarrant, you brought this on yourself." He drew his sword, and dealt Tarrant a violent blow in the face with the flat. Tarrant's head smacked against the wall with the force of the blow, and blood flowed down his cheek. He whimpered in pain, but remained silent.

Stayne sighed. "I can see this is going to take a while. It's a good thing Time is on my side. You know how important that is, don't you?"

Tarrant glared at him. The memory of his curse would always be with him. He had finally been pardoned by Time, but he knew how fickle He could be.

Stayne smiled wickedly. "Did I strike a nerve? Everyone in Underland knew about your curse. The fact that you were doomed to a never ending Tea Party was really quite amusing. It must have been horrible, not being able to go anywhere."

"And yet I managed to show up at your Trial", Tarrant interrupted. "Or have you forgotten that both Thackery and I were called as witnesses?"

Stayne shook his head. "No, I haven't forgotten. You were a great help", he replied sarcastically. "My life was in danger, and you two couldn't stop being your mad selves. So I can't say I was grateful for the support."

Tarrant smiled. "But we did our best."

Stayne laughed sardonically, then leaned forward and spoke quietly. "I know you did. So that's exactly what I'm going to do. My best."


	4. Chapter 4 Not Only Hearts Are Red

Chapter Four Not Only Hearts Are Red

_( Author's Note- This will contain a flashback to Red King's death)_

Hours later, Stayne stood before the Queen. He had tried to no avail to get Tarrant to talk. He silently admitted to himself that for a mad man, Tarrant had a remarkable amount of courage.

'Something that I am sadly lacking' he thought morosely. 'But it is better to be a live coward than a dead hero'. Stayne had told himself this many times, and he was still aware of how hollow and false the words sounded. He remembered what Alice had called him.

'Knave. Coward. That's all I am, and all I ever will be'.

He was pulled out of his reverie at the sound of the Queen's voice, and he quickly snapped to attention. Iracebeth had a very dangerous look in her eyes, one that Stayne recognized immediately. She had probably been speaking to him for a good five minutes, and for her favorite Knave to be ignoring her was extremely upsetting and insulting. She fixed her gaze on Stayne, who had the decency-not to mention intelligence-to look embarrassed.

"Forgive me, Majesty. I was simply lost in thought and as such did not hear you. I have had no success in getting the prisoner known as Tarrant Hightopp to tell me the whereabouts of the girl. He seems to be determined to protect her, whoever she is. If Your Majesty will permit me, I could perhaps have another try in a few days."

Iracebeth giggled. "Why my dearest Knave, you know you do not need to ask my permission. Anything you wish to do will be perfectly acceptable." Stayne nodded.

"Of course, Majesty. I shall keep that in mind." Iracebeth smiled, and motioned for him to approach. When he neared her, she leaned down and whispered in a deadly cold voice.

"Just remember what I told you the day I gave you your freedom. Make no mistake, Ilosivic Stayne, you are completely and utterly mine. So don't try anything foolish."

Stayne gulped. "Yes, Majesty. I have not forgotten" 'How can I,' he thought bitterly. 'You remind me of my foolish mistake every single day.' Iracebeth looked pleased, and nodded at Stayne, signaling her dismissal of him. He bowed deeply, and returned to his room. As soon as he shut the door, he began to quietly curse himself for an idiotic, cowardly fool.

'You would think, that after TEN years of being loyal to her, she would stop with the threats and paranoia. She knows by now that I serve her.' He paused in that thought, and laughed scornfully. ' Yes, I serve her. I sometimes think it would have been better to die. I know that she is in lust with me, but I know her moods. How quickly that love can turn to hate.' He shuddered as a memory was dredged up-one that he would never forget. The death of the Red King.

_Stayne had returned from a routine patrol, when he heard the angry shouts of Iracebeth. It was a known fact in Underland that the Queen had a voice that could be heard all the way to Witzend. 'I wonder what poor unfortunate wretch has managed to upset our beloved monarch this time.' He entered the castle, and simply followed the sounds of screaming. Finally, he discovered where they were coming from. The private chambers of the King and Queen. Stayne, feeling a morbid and dreadful curiosity, stopped at the door, and listened to Iracebeth rage. _

"_Don't lie to me! I saw the way you looked at her! At my perfect sister! You could not take your eyes off of her! You betrayed me, Gabriel! You are MY husband! Not hers!! You are a coward! And I will. Not. Lose. To. My. Sister. You will pay for your crime, dear husband." Having said this she walked to the door and wrenched it open, consequently knocking Stayne in the forehead. It was hard to say who was the more surprised. However, Iracebeth quickly recovered, and smiled winningly at him. _

"_My dear Knave, what a wonderful coincidence. I was just about to summon you. I need you to prove your loyalty to me. Are you willing?" Stayne nodded carefully, then bowed deeply. _

"_I am yours to command, Highness. What is it you wish me to do? "_

_Iracebeth smiled evilly. "I wish for an execution to be carried out immediately. Gabriel has been disloyal, and there is only one acceptable punishment for betrayal."_

_Stayne looked at her, aghast. "You want me to murder your husband?!" _

_Iracebeth nodded. "You told me that you would be loyal to me, Stayne. That means that you are to follow my orders without question. Is that understood?" _

_Stayne shook his head in vehement denial. "Majesty, I cannot murder a man in cold blood! I will not do it!" Iracebeth's mood changed quickly, and she spoke in a cold, flat voice. _

"_You have two choices. You either obey me and live, or refuse me, and die. Either way, my husband dies. Make your choice." She smiled triumphantly at the agonized expression on his face. Stayne drew his sword and walked into the room, where the King sat silently in his chair. He looked up when he heard Stayne enter. _

"_I know why you are here. I could not help but overhear the exchange that went on between you and my wife. I need to tell you that I do not lay any blame on you for what you have been forced to do. But remember this, Knave of Hearts. It is not only your regalia that is red. There is going to be blood on your hands, and you will carry that stigma all your days." _

_Stayne shook with fear and sadness. "Majesty, I know that you may not believe me, but I am truly sorry for what I must do". _

_Stayne took a deep, shuddering breath. He then brought his sword around in a high, sweeping arc, and the King's head was severed from his body. Stayne gave a strangled cry and ran out of the room, only pausing to shout insanely to Iracebeth. _

"_It's done! I proved myself loyal! I did as you asked! Off with his head!!" _


	5. Chapter 5 What I've Done

One Eyed Jack Chapter 5 What I've Done

(NOTE-This will be one of the shorter chapters. I really put poor Stayne through the emotional wringer. Poor guy. I promise, the next chapter will be a bit more optimistic. )

_Stayne sheathed his sword and ran as quickly as he could to his rooms. He fancied that the eyes of every member of the Court were upon him. He felt himself pursued by a nameless dread and haunted by the King's last words 'You will carry this stigma all your days'. _

_Upon reaching his room, he failed to notice one of his Guards standing nearby. The Guard, who had come to report on the activity in Underland, was knocked spinning by a wild eyed Stayne. He picked himself off the floor and stared in concern at his Captain._

"_Sir? Are….are you feeling alright?" Stayne yelped in fear, then whirled around, staring at the Guard. The Guard took a step back at the look on his face. "Sir?" _

_Stayne gulped. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I…what do you want?" _

_The Guard looked at him cautiously. "I have my Patrol Report ready, Sir." He handed Stayne a rolled up piece of parchment. Stayne took it, and spoke distractingly. _

"_I'll look at it later. I…am rather busy at the moment." The Guard nodded. _

"_Of course, Sir. I will leave you in peace". He saluted, and then moved off down the hall. Stayne quickly hurried into his room, slamming and locking the door behind him. _

'_Oh No, no, no. I killed him. I killed the King.' Stayne made a sound halfway between a sob and a moan. He raised his hands to his face, and dug his fingers into the side of his head, clenching tightly. "I'm a murderer!" He laughed quietly to himself. "A murderer, a coward, a worthless waste". _

_He groaned again, and collapsed to his knees. As he did so, his sword, which had not been sheathed properly, fell to the floor with a clatter. Stayne picked it up, and stared at the blood coating the blade. Suddenly, with a wild yell, he threw the sword as hard as he could. It went flying across the room and shattered a mirror hanging on the far wall. Fragments of the mirror flew everywhere, and Stayne saw his face reflected in them over and over, and he screamed. Screamed and sobbed. Finally, he collapsed from sheer exhaustion. _


	6. Chapter 6 What A Masquerade

Chapter Six What A Masquerade

(_There will be a *very brief* appearance of a character I have written in other stories. If she gets a good reception, I may put her in later stories. [Also, I couldn't think of a more appropriate song than one of Carroll's own poems].)_

Stayne was brought crashing back to the present by the sound of fists pounding on the door.

"Sir! Sir! Are you alright?!" came a shout.

Stayne blinked, and looked around dazed. His room was a shambles, and his hands and face ached horribly. He raised his hands to his face. He placed his fingers on the side of his head, and they came away bloody.

'What the hell is going on here?' he thought bewilderingly. 'I must have been really deep into my memories....' The pounding continued, and he walked to the door and opened it, shocking the Guard standing behind it.

"Sir! Thank goodness you're alright! I heard you screaming, and your door was locked! I feared the worst!"

Stayne glared at him. "Well, I am fine, as you can see. Now if you would be so kind as to leave me in peace?"

The Guard looked at Stayne cautiously. "You've been acting strangely for a few days, now. I'm not the only one who has noticed it. You seem to be lost in thought quite a bit recently."

Stayne sighed. "I'm just revisiting the past, Six. Nothing for you to be worried about. I guess dealing with Tarrant has dredged up some memories. You may go now, Six."

Six saluted and moved off. Stayne shut the door, pressed his forehead against it, and sighed deeply. 'I seem to be dredging up some of my buried memories…'

'I just wish they were more pleasant ones. '

But Stayne knew that was one of the consequences for working for Iracebeth. She did not know how to create happy moments. She knew only anger and rage, and she had a way of infecting everyone around her.

A person would come to Court, all wide eyed innocence and naivety, and within a very short time they would become a shadow of what they had once been. But, then again-there were those that reveled in that sort of life. The Card Guards took a sadistic pleasure out of enforcing the Laws of the land, and were not above using torture to extract information.

Stayne laughed quietly and bitterly. "I'm not any better, though. I didn't exactly coddle Tarrant yesterday." He looked around the room. 'I really tore the hell out of this place. Better get it cleaned up.' His eye was drawn to a small, shiny object lying by his desk. He walked over to the desk, and bending down picked up the object. It was a black mask. The setting sun had caught the sequins in it, causing it to flash. Stayne stared at the scrap of silk in his hands, smiling as a memory once more came to the surface-the time he had attended the Masquerade Ball held by the King and Queen, and been completely captivated by a masked songstress….

_Stayne looked around at the magnificent ballroom, drinking in the sights. He had to admit to himself, Iracebeth and Gabriel knew how to throw a masquerade. The invitations had been set out months in advance, and Underland Royalty loved nothing more than to dress up. The costumes sported by those in the ballroom were a riot of color-red, green, blue, purple, black, yellow, orange…. it looked, Stayne thought, as if a rainbow had broken over the Court. He was dressed simply in a black costume and black mask. The only accoutrement he sported was a small heart pin on his costume. 'I feel like a crow among peacocks'. _

_Iracebeth had been looking around, and now she noticed Stayne. Her eyes widened as she took in his costume, and excusing herself, walked over to where he was standing. _

_Stayne quickly arranged his features into a charming smile, and bowed deeply. "Majesty, thank you for inviting me. I must say, your costume is beautiful." Iracebeth giggled, and linked her arms with his. Stayne made an effort not to grimace. _

"_Why thank you, dear Knave. Would you do me the honor of attending me while my husband dances? I'm not really a dancer, you know, and I would much rather be in your company." _

_Stayne bowed his head. "It would be my honor, Highness." _

_Iracebeth smiled, and dragged Stayne off around the ballroom. His head was soon whirling with all the activity. Every time Iracebeth spotted a guest she would drag Stayne over and introduce him. He really didn't mind it, but he silently wished that people would stop remarking on his height and missing eye. He had come up with a pat response for both-"I ate too much Upelchuken as a baby" and "I lost it when I was young, don't want to go into details." That seemed to satisfy even the most curious gawkers. _

_After what seemed like hours, the King finally finished dancing and walked over to where the Queen and Stayne were standing. "Well, my dear, how are you enjoying yourself?" _

_Iracebeth smiled. "I am having a magnificent time, dear. So is Stayne. Aren't you?" _

_Stayne nodded. "Of course I am, Your Highness. I cannot think of a better way to spend an evening." _

_Gabriel smiled. "That is wonderful to hear, but may I steal my wife back from you? We need to announce the start of the entertainment." _

_Stayne tried not to look profoundly relieved as Gabriel took Iracebeth's arm and escorted her to the throne. He followed behind, knowing that the Queen liked having him in her sights. He took up position near the throne, and Iracebeth simpered at him. Stayne subtly rolled his eyes. _

_Gabriel motioned to the band, who stopped in their playing. The guests looked around. "Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of myself and my lovely wife, I would like to welcome all of you to this ball. The entertainment is about to begin. If Lady Sullivan is ready?.." he inquired to the room. _

"_I'm ready, Majesty. I was merely waiting on you," came the reply from the back. A woman walked forward, and the crowd parted before her. Stayne watched her coming and his breath caught in his throat... Lady Sullivan was tall and slender with brown hair that tumbled down to her shoulders. She moved with an innate grace, and carried herself with an aristocratic air. Stayne was captivated. 'She's beautiful'_

_She was dressed simply, in a deep blue gown that ended at the ankles. Her sleeves were transparent, and made of the same silky material as the gown. Her mask was a lighter shade of blue. She walked up to the throne and curtsied. "Majesties, it is my honor to be here entertaining you." _

_Gabriel smiled. "Welcome, Lady Sullivan. It is said that you have a magnificent voice. Would you mind singing for us?" _

"_It would be a pleasure, Sire," she replied. She turned around, and signaled for the musicians to play. _

_Stayne was amazed. Lady Sullivan had the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. _

"_**Will you walk a little faster, said a whiting to a snail?**_

_**"There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my tail.  
See how eagerly the lobsters and the turtles all advance!  
They are waiting on the shingle -- will you come and join the dance?  
Will you won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?  
Will you won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?**_

"You can really have no notion how delightful it will be  
When they take us up and throw us, with the lobsters, out to sea!"  
But the snail replied "Too far, too far!" and gave a look askance --  
Said he thanked the whiting kindly, but he would not join the dance.  
Would not, could not, would not, could not, would not join the dance.  
Would not, could not, would not, could not, could not join the dance.

"What matters it how far we go?" his scaly friend replied.  
"There is another shore, you know, upon the other side.  
The further off from England the nearer is to France --  
Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.  
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance?  
Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join the dance?" 

Stayne smiled sadly as he remembered the rest of that night. He had wanted so badly to get better acquainted with Lady Sullivan, but Iracebeth had been adamant that he remain by her side at all times. Reluctantly, he had complied. He still regretted that.

'But if I had disobeyed her, then doubtless Lady Sullivan would have borne the brunt of the Queen's wrath, and I would have regretted that even more. But oh, what a masquerade that was.'


	7. Chapter 7 The Past Becomes Present

Chapter Seven The Past Becomes Present

Stayne continued to run the mask through his fingers, smiling softly at the one pleasant memory that Iracebeth had been unable to take from him. He had wisely kept his deep admiration for Lady Sullivan quiet. 'I only got to see her for a few moments, and hear her sing, but that was enough'. He had wondered what happened to her. After the masquerade, she had left. Stayne longed to follow, but he knew better than to leave the Queen without her permission. She had questioned him after the Masquerade…

"_Stayne, tell me. What did you think of Lady Sullivan?"_

"_She has a very lovely voice," he answered. But somehow he knew that was not the answer the Queen wanted. _

_Iracebeth looked sideways at him. "I am aware of that, Stayne. What I am more interested in is what you thought of her."_

_Stayne had paused; knowing if he told the truth-he had been completely and utterly captivated by her-Iracebeth would fly into a towering rage. He had seen and experienced that wrath more than once. Iracebeth abhorred the idea of anyone but her making eyes at her Knave. With that thought, Stayne proceeded to lie through his teeth. _

"_Majesty, I did not take much notice of her. How could I, when I was near you?" _

_Iracebeth had smiled, and changed the subject. Stayne had silently thanked Time that he was able to prevent a potential disaster. _

Stayne sighed. He looked around the room, his eyes finally landing on a map of Underland that hung on his far right wall. He walked over to it, and ran his finger along the familiar landmarks-Witzend, Crims, Marmoreal, and the Gummer Slough. His fingers came to rest on the spot reading Tulgey Wood. Stayne stared at the name, feeling a nagging sense of familiarity. Suddenly, he gasped. 'The home of the Jabberwock'. He had been revisiting the past for so many days, and he had yet to dredge up the most potent memory he had-and indeed, that any Underlander had. The one memory that no one would ever forget, and everyone shared. The Horrevendush Day. The day that White fell to Red. Stayne would never forget that day. He had watched horrified as the White Army fell…

_Mirana and Iracebeth had agreed to a Duel of Champions. The White Knight had stridden confidentially forward, armor glinting in the sun, and Vorpal Sword flashing. He exuded an aura of steely determination. Then Iracebeth had revealed her Champion. The Jabberwock. The soldiers of the White Army had cried out in terror and despair as their Champion lost his nerves. The Sword fell to the ground, and the Jabberwock made swift work of the once brave Knight. Stayne could not believe his eyes. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't happening, but the screams and cries of the White Soldiers changed his mind. 'This is not a battle. This is a slaughter!' He then heard a sound that he would never forget-a scream full of madness and fear. He had actually shuddered in terror at the sound. He looked around for the source, and saw Thackery standing in the middle of the bodies of the White soldiers. Stayne gasped at the sight. Thackery's face was a blank. Suddenly, he screamed again, and Stayne realized that he had gone mad. 'This is what the Queen has brought. Madness, terror, and slaughter.' He then heard a voice calling for Thackery... He ducked behind a tree, and witnessed Tarrant returning. Tarrant had gasped in horror at the sight of his friend. Tarrant had tried to no avail to get Thackery to acknowledge his presence. Finally, he had given up and simply dragged him from the field. Stayne had witnessed the whole horrifying spectacle. As Tarrant dragged Thackery away from the carnage, he passed by the tree that Stayne was hidden behind. He had sensed movement and turned, and seen Stayne standing nearby. The look of hatred, rage, and grief on his face was something Stayne would never forget. Tarrant opened his mouth to speak, but it was plain words were beyond him. Instead, he simply stared at Stayne for a full minute, then silently shaking his head, turned and left the battlefield, dragging an unresponsive Thackery behind him. Stayne had never forgotten that. Tarrant's silent dismissal had cut deeper than any words could. _

"I'm on the Winning Side, and for that I sacrificed everything that I was." He sighed sadly, and moving away from the map, sat down at his desk. He looked out his window at the Kingdom below. 'I can only hope that someday I can atone for everything I have done.' Suddenly a scream rang out.

"STAYNE!!"

Stayne sighed, and went to go placate Iracebeth for the millionth time.

THE END


End file.
